From 2017, medical interns will be able to specialize in allergology. A decree officially recognizes this discipline.
This time, the doubt is raised. Allergology is officially a medical specialty in its own right. This discipline has appeared in the Official newspaper, this December 29. A decree fixes the number of interns who can be trained there. A relief for the specialists who practice in this field. They feared that their profession would disappear due to lack of interest and initial training.
Until now, France was an exception in Europe. Among our neighbors, fifteen countries recognize allergology as a medical specialty. France was satisfied with additional training. Most often, general practitioners, pulmonologists and dermatologists were the only ones to follow it.
1,200 specialists in France
This decree restores the balance: from their medical studies, interns who wish can be introduced to allergology. In fact, this specialty is included in the section Internal medicine and clinical immunology / infectious and tropical diseases / allergology. On condition of being one of the lucky ones, because only 30 students each year will have the opportunity to learn alongside an allergist.
This development, the specialists considered it necessary. While 18 million French people suffer from allergies, only 1,200 doctors are trained in this discipline. “As much as we can deal with certain allergies in the context of organ specialties, allergology has become extremely complex in certain cases”, underlined last April Jean-François Fontaine, president of the National Association for Continuing Education in allergology (Anaforcal). On the occasion of the French Congress of Allergology, the doctors were delighted with the positive attitude of the government. At the end of the year, he offers them a nice gift.
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